Straight bar knitting machines



Aug. 28, 96 R. BLOOD 3,050,971

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 22, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 9h if [Lil I FIG. 6.

Aug. 28, 1962 R. BLOOD 3,050,971

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES w I 4 sheets-sheet 2 IIIHUIHH Filed Oct. 22, 1959 FJGM Q ZY (Q Aug. 28, 1962 R. BLOOD 3,050,971

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 22, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG- Aug. 28, 1962 R. BLOOD 3,050,971

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 22, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 NE? a 64b z/ur fan United States Patent 3,950,971 STRAIGHT BAR KNETTING MACHINES Raymond Blood, Shepshed, England, assignor to Williiaan Cotton Limited Filed 0st. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 847,957 Claims priority, appiication Great Britain Oct. 24, 1958 Claims. (Cl. 66-145) I heating. element deflected against the yarn. In each of these instances the yarn must be deflected into the one and only location whereat the heating element will operate to sever the yarn.

However in other instances it is required to be able to sever yarns at different locationsof the yarns particularly spaced along the needle row. One of these instances is when blanks are to be produced and successively pressed off each time leaving a length of yarn extending between the pressed-01f blank and the thread carrier, it being required to knit these blanks of different widths at difierent times and to sever the lengths of yarn at whatever locations along the needle row they extend. It is desirable in these instances to first deflect the lengths of yarn into.

an attitude perpendicular to the needle row as disclosed in' the U.S. Patent 2,873,593 issued to Ernest Start and Raymond Blood.

An object of the invention is to provide yarn deflecting and severing means of such improved construction as to enable the ready severing of lengths of yarn at different locations of such lengths of yarn and primarily after first deflecting the yarn into an attitude perpendicular to the needle'row.

The invention provides a straight bar knitting machine having an electric heating element, which element is displaceably mounted for displacement into any of a plurality of positions whereat it can engage the yarn and, after being energised, can thereat sever the yarn. Conveniently the heating element is in the form of a yarn deflector for deflecting the yarn, when in any of said positions, into a predetermined attitude. As applied to the arrangement disclosed in said patent the heating element is constructed and arranged to constitute a deflector referred to in said patent whereby yarn is deflectible when in any of a plurality of positions along the needle row into an attitude perpendicular to the needle row, and control means are provided to energise the element at a desired time whilst the yarn is being thus held so as to sever the yarn at desired time.

The time of severance is conveniently when the thread carrier has next fed its yarn to a suflicient number of the needles for the yarn to be locked to the needles by advancing sinkers.

Conveniently the heating element forms with the hook like deflector of said patent a hook like loop, the free ends of the loop being connected to a suitable source of electric power which is under control of suitable timed switch means.

The timed switch means may be set in motion by operation of a control rod whereby at required time an electric switch in circuit with the heating element deflector is closed.

The heating element deflector may itself control a second electric switch, in series with the first to confine the artisan Patented Aug. 28, 1362 period during which the heating element can be energised to a desired minimum.

More specifically the deflector according to said patent has a final movement in rotational direction to deflect the yarn between sinkers, and said second switch is arranged to be operated by this final movement of the deflector whereby this second switch prepares the heating element for operation by the first switch only during the time when the deflector actually holds the yarn in its deflected attitude.

The timed switch means may comprise said first switch and cam means rendered operative and inoperative on said first switch.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described as a specific embodiment with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification in which:

FIGURE 1 is a broken diagrammatic plan View of a multisection straight bar knitting machine according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view of part of one complete knitting section of a straight bar knitting machine.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a detail perspective view of a yarn control device according to the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a general perspective view showing the control device and electric operating means therefor.

FIGURE 6 is a detail sectional view of the control device.

Referring now to FIGURES l to 4 these are substantially as shown in said patent, to which reference is di' rected for full details, the only diflerence being that associated with each hooked yarn deflector 9 there isa heating element 911, and, as shown in FIGURE 3, there is also an electric contact strip c associated with the hooked yarn deflector 9.

As clearly shown in FIGURE 4 the electric heating element 9h is of V shape and is connected at one end of the tip of the hooked yarn deflector 9 thereby to form with it a hook-like loop, each free end of which loop extends into a mounting block 9b.

As shown in FIGURE 6 the mounting block 91) consists of an insulating block which is fixed to the rod 6 of said specification by screw means 9a.

The heating element 9h projects from a support 9m extending into the block 9b and into a brass insert 9i. A locking screw 91 locks the support 9m in position.

The non-hook end of the hooked yarn deflector 9 extends into the insulated block 9b and is engaged by a screw 91.

As shown in FIGURE 5 the rod 6 is engaged by an electric wiper 5t which is attached to the template rail 3 and has a terminal a to which an electric lead is connected. 1

A second lead is connected to a second terminal 51 also fastened to the template rail 8. The two electric leads extend in an electric circuit including, for example, a transformer 52, and a micro switch 53. The micro switch 53 is mounted on a bracket 54 to which there is pivcted'a truck lever 55 having a truck 56 biassed by a spring 58 towards a cam 59 on the main cam shaft 60.

The truck lever 55 has a tail part 55a carrying an adjustable stop 55b directly over the micro switch 53, and also a notch 55c at its free end.

Engaging in the notch 55c there is a prop 61 which is pivotally mounted on a shaft 62 and which has a tailpart 61a over-lying a peg 64a on a control lever 64.

The control lever 64 is connected to the prop 61 by a spring 65 and itself is biassed by a spring 66 in a direction urging a truck 6411 on it towards a control rod 67.

The control rod 67 has on it a cone collar 67a and is displaceable in the direction of the arrow A to commence production of a blank after a last-produced blank has been pressed-off.

, Operation of the hooked yarn deflector 9 is the same as that described in said patent and it briefly consists in the hooked yarn deflector 9 being first displaced by axial displacement of the rod 6 to engage the yarn Y extending from the pressed-off blank to the thread carrier, then the hooked yarn deflector 9 is further displaced to deflect the yarn Y into an attitude perpendicular to the needle (FIGURE 2), and next the hooked yarn deflector is pivotally displaced to deflect the yarn Y between sinkers. According to the present invention it is the heating element part 9/1 of the hooked yarn deflector which actually engages and deflects the yarn. Following this the heating element operates to sever the yarn when a new blank has been started and the thread carrier has fed the yarn to a sufficient number of the needles for the yarn to be locked to the needles by the sinkers.

More specifically, when the needles are in a low knock-over starting position, the control rod 67 is displaced in the direction of the arrow A to initiate the operation described in the US. Patent 2,873,593 of transferring a length of rib fabric from a point bar to the needles.

This displacement of the control rod 67 causes the cone collar 67a to rock the control lever 64 thereby tensioning the spring 65 applying a force to the prop 61 tending to remove it out of the truck lever notch 55c. However at this stage the prop 61 is prevented from movement be cause the spring 58 applies a heavier load through the truck lever tail 55a onto the prop 61.

During the ensuing rotation of the main cam shaft 60, the length of rib fabric is transferred to the needles and at the end of this motion a high part of the cam 59 engages the truck lever 56 to relieve the load of the truck lever tail 55a on the prop 61 so that the prop 61 is pulled by the spring 65 out of the truck lever notch 55c, it being understood that the control rod 67 is at this stage maintained in its operated position.

The truck lever 55 thereafter becomes continuously operated by the cam 59 such that a low part of the cam 59 causes the truck lever stop 55b to engage and operate the micro switch 53.

The stage at which this low part of the cam 59 operates is during the first course after the transfer of the length of rib fabric to the needles and when the thread carrier has fed yarn to a. suflicient number of needles for the yarn to be locked to the needles by the sinkers. The effect of the switch 53 operating at this time is for the heating element 9]: to be energised thereby instantaneously severing the yarn.

At about this time the control rod 67 returns to its initial postion so that the control lever 64 will be urged by its spring 66 in a direction whereat its peg 64a engages the prop tail 61a tending to return the prop 61 to its initial position engaging in the truck lever notch 55c.

' Consequently when the high part of the cam 59 next engages the truck 56 this results in disposing the truck lever tail 55a at a sufflcient height for the prop 61 to spring underneath it into said notch 55c thereby for the parts to be reset ready for the next blank and so on.

To ensure satisfactory insulation of the hooked yarn deflector rod 6, its bearings such as shown at 68 are of insulating material; a handle for the rod 6, referred to in the above-mentioned US. Patent 2,873,593 is also made of insulating material.

The voltage of the heating element 9h,is conveniently very low for safety, and will be carried to the hooked yarn deflector rod 6 by the wiper 50 which has a spring loading (not shown) and which is insulated from the template rail 8 by insulation Silo.

To complete the circuit, the aforementioned spring tab 9c on the hooked yarn deflector block 9b makes contact with the template rail 8 only when the hooked yarn deflector 9 is turned down into its final position. Accordingly the spring tab 9c and the template rail 8 constitutes a preparing switch which prepares the heating element for operation by the micro switch 53 only during the time when the hook yarn deflector 9 actually holds the yarn Y in its finally deflected attitude.

The construction as particularly described may be modifled to suit requirements without departing from the scope of the invention; for example there may be a plurality of the hooked yarn deflectors in each knitting section of the machine as and for the purpose described in said specification of the U.S. Patent 2,873,593 with reference to FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 thereof, each of these hooked yarn deflectors having its own heating element associated with it for severing its deflected yarn.

What I claim is:

1. In a knitting machine having a row of needles and sinkers, in combination, a yarn deflector including a severing means and being movable along said row of needles to and from an operative deflecting position located in a plane perpendicular to said row of needles for engaging and deflecting with said severing means a yarn extending freely to a knitted workpiece so that the yarn is located in said plane; and means for actuating said severing means when said yarn deflector is in said deflecting position, and while the yarn is locked to the needles by the sinkers.

2. In a knitting machine having a row of needles and sinkers, in combination, a yarn deflector including an electric severing wire means and being movable along said row of needles to and from an operative deflecting position located in a plane perpendicular to said row of needles for engaging and deflecting with said severing wire a yarn extending freely to a knitted workpiece so that the yarn is located in said plane; and means for en ergizing and thereby heating said electric severing wire when said deflector is in said deflecting position, and while the yarn is locked to the needles by the sinkers whereby the yarn is severed.

3. An arrangement as set forth in claim 2, wherein said electric severing wire is hook-shaped and has a recessed part for engaging the yarn.

4. In a knitting machine having a row of needles and sinkers, in combination, a yarn deflector including an elec tric severing wire means and being movable along said row of needles to and from an operative deflecting position located in a plane perpendicular to said row of needles for engaging and deflecting with said severing wire a yarn extending freely to a knitted workpiece so that the yarn is located in said plane, said yarn deflector being pivotable in said plane; and a circuit connected to said severing wire and including contact means located on the machine and on said yarn deflector, said contact means engaging each other when said yarn deflector is pivoted in said deflecting position, said circuit including switch means in series with said contact means; and means controlled by the main shaft of the knitting machine to close said switch means and to pivot said deflector in said deflecting position in a timed sequence so that said contact means engage each other and the circuit is closed while the yarn is locked to the needles by the sinkers whereby said wire is energized and heated and severs the yarn.

5. In a knitting machine having a row of needles and sinkers, in combination, a yarn deflector'including an electric severing wire means and being movable along said row of needles to and from an operative deflecting position located in a plane perpendicular to said row of needles for engaging and deflecting with said severing wire a yarn extending freely to a knitted workpiece so that the yarn is located in said plane; a circuit connected to said electric severing wire and including a normally open switch means; cam follower means for closing said switch means; and cam means controlled by the main shaft of the machine for operating said cam follower means and for closing the said switch means while the yarn is locked to the needles by the sinkers whereby the wire is energized and heated and severs the yarn.

6. In a knitting machine having a row of needles, sinkers and at least one thread carrier for producing knitted fabric, there being at least one non-knitting period during which a length of yarn extends freely between a stationary thread carrier and the fabric and at least one subsequent knitting period during which the yarn is fed by the traversing thread carrier to the row of needles and sinkers and the length of yarn becomes locked to the needles by the sinkers, in combination, a combined deflector and severing device for the length of yarn; first means operatively connected with said device for operation of it during said non-knitting period to deflect the freely extending length of yarn into pre-determined attitude ready for the subsequent knitting period; and second means associated with the device for operation of it during said subsequent knitting period to sever the length of yarn whilst held by it in said attitude and when locked to the needles by the sinkers.

7. In a knitting machine having a row of needles, sinkers and at least one thread carrier for producing knitted fabric, there being at least one non-knitting period during which a length of yarn extends freely between the stationary thread carrier and the fabric and at least one subsequent knitting period during which the yarn is fed by the traversing thread carrier to the row of needles and sinkers and the length of yarn becomes locked to the needles by the sinkers, in combination, yarn control means comprising a combined deflector and severing hook for the length of yarn, a carrier member mounting said hook and operable to displace it in different directions during said non-knitting period to deflect the freely extending length of yarn into predetermined attitude ready for the subsequent knitting period; and means for heating the hook during said subsequent knitting period to sever the length of yarn while held by it in said attitude and when locked to the needle by the sinkers.

8. In a straight bar knitting machine having a row of needles, sinkers and at least one thread carrier for producing a succession of knitted blanks, there being spaced non-knitting periods when the blanks are pressed off during which a length of yarn extends freely between the stationary thread carrier and the pressed off blank and a subsequent knitting period following each nonknitting period during which the length of yarn is fed by the traversing thread carrier to the row of needles and sinkers and becomes locked to the needles by the sinkers, in combination, a combined deflector and severing device for the length of yarn; first means associated with said device for operation of it each time a blank is pressed off to deflect the freely extending length of yarn into predetermined attitude ready for commencement of the next blank; main cam-shaft operating means associated with the device for operating it to sever the length of yarn at the required time in production of a course of each blank when the length of yarn is locked to the needles by the sinkers; and an operations control device which is operable to render the main cam-shaft operating means effective for a required course of each blank.

9. In a knitting machine having a row of needles, sinkers and at least one thread carrier for producing knitted fabric, there being at least one non-knitting period during which a length of yarn extends freely between the stationary thread carrier and the fabric and at least one subsequent knitting period during which the yarn is fed by the traversing thread carriers to the row of needles and sinkers and the length of yarn becomes locked to the needles by the sinkers, in combination, a hooked heating element for deflecting and severing the length of yarn; a carrier member mounting said hooked heating element and displaceable to dispose the hooked heating element into two different positions successively during said nonknitting period to deflect the freely extending length of yarn into a predetermined attitude ready for the subsequent knitting period; and operating means associated with the hooked heating element and including a first electric switch operable for causing it to heat up and sever the length of yarn during said subsequent knitting period when the length of yarn is locked to the needles by the sinkers, and a second electric switch in series with the first switch and operable by the displacements of the hooked heating element into its second position to ensure its severing operation only when in this position holding the length of yarn in said predetermined attitude.

10. In a staright bar knitting machine having a row of needles, sinkers and atleast one thread carrier for producing a succession of knitted blanks, there being spaced non-knitting periods when the blanks are pressed off during each of which a length of yarn extends in inclined attitude between the stationary thread carrier and the pressed ofl blank and a next knitting period following each non-knitting period when the blanks are produced during each of which the length of yarn becomes locked to the needles, in combination, a hooked heating element for deflecting and severing the length of yarn; a

' rod mounting said hooked heating element longitudinally displaceable to deflect that part of the inclined length of yarn adjacent said row into an attitude perpendicular to the row and displaceable angul-arly to deflect said part of the perpendicular length of yarn adjacent the needles downwardly between a pair of adjacent sinkers ready for the next knitting period; main cam-shaft operating means including a first electric switch connected to the hooking v heated element and operable for causing it to-heat up at a time required in the production of a course of each blank when the length of yarn is locked to the needles; an operations control device operable to render said camshaft operating means effective for a required course of each blank, and a second electric switch in series with the first electric switch and operable by the displacement of said hooked heating element downwardly between the pair of sinkers to a required extent to ensure that the severing can only take place when the length of yarn is held by the hooked heating element in required attitude.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,132,494 Rinehart Oct. 11, 1938 2,602,313 Reading July 8, 1952 2,844,016 Cobert July 22, 1958 2,863,310 Miller Dec. 9, 1958 2,873,593 Start et al. Feb. 17, 1959 2,934,922 Reading May 3, 1960 

